Helen B. Henderson's Blog, page 100
March 18, 2014
Easier the Second Time Around?
Is it really easier the second time around? Stop by at the Literary Lagniappe and find out. I'll be revealing some of the story behind one of my novels. But which one? Dragon Destiny or Imprisoned in Stone? You'll have to stop by Literary Lagniappe to find out. There will be a special giveaway to one lucky person who leaves a comment. The direct link to the post is http://wp.me/p2Mj5j-su.
Till next time ~ Helen
Till next time ~ Helen
March 15, 2014
In Memorium - Jane Toombs
Jane Toombs
(December 27, 1926 - March 5, 2014)
Writers and readers of romance lost another staunch supporter with the passing of Jane Toombs. She's the published author of about one hundred books, novellas and short stories, both in print and electronic. These include the various romance genres--gothic, suspense, contemporary, historical, Regency and paranormal--as well as other genres such as mystery, fantasy and horror. Her awards include a Bookrak Award for best-selling series book, a Prism Award for best dark paranormal ( Lover's Moon) and am EPIC Award for best non-fiction. According to her bio she was also a charter member of Romance Writers of America.
Janes obituary and book of condolences can be found at Cane Funeral Home.
(December 27, 1926 - March 5, 2014)
Writers and readers of romance lost another staunch supporter with the passing of Jane Toombs. She's the published author of about one hundred books, novellas and short stories, both in print and electronic. These include the various romance genres--gothic, suspense, contemporary, historical, Regency and paranormal--as well as other genres such as mystery, fantasy and horror. Her awards include a Bookrak Award for best-selling series book, a Prism Award for best dark paranormal ( Lover's Moon) and am EPIC Award for best non-fiction. According to her bio she was also a charter member of Romance Writers of America.
Janes obituary and book of condolences can be found at Cane Funeral Home.
March 14, 2014
Jewelry, Bagels and Orchids?
What do jewelry, bagels, orchids and surfboards have in common? How about handmade glass, honey, cosmetics, flags, beer, chocolate and tea?
All of these items are made in Monmouth County.
These items, and many others produced in Monmouth County, will be on display and available for purchase at the “Made in Monmouth” event to be held 10 AM to 4 PM, Saturday, April 12 at Monmouth University on Larchwood Avenue. Free admission to the public.
Now why am I mentioning such as event? It sounds like crafts. No last time there was wine and chocolate too. Unlike at some craft shows, books are considered a product for the purposes of Made in Monmouth. Yea. Last year there several of us authors there, one of whom was 17-year-old (at the time) Stephen Jacobson with his debut novel, One Last Season. Who knows who what will be the breakout item this spring? Come to Monmouth University and find out. I will be there with my fiction and non-fiction, and if the fates allow, two new novels in paperback. Till next time ~ Helen Interested producers and manufacturers are encouraged to request space online at www.visitmonmouth.com or contact the Division of Economic Development at 732-431-7470 for more information. After the event. the list of participating vendors will be published on the County website at www.visitmonmouth.com.
All of these items are made in Monmouth County.
These items, and many others produced in Monmouth County, will be on display and available for purchase at the “Made in Monmouth” event to be held 10 AM to 4 PM, Saturday, April 12 at Monmouth University on Larchwood Avenue. Free admission to the public. Now why am I mentioning such as event? It sounds like crafts. No last time there was wine and chocolate too. Unlike at some craft shows, books are considered a product for the purposes of Made in Monmouth. Yea. Last year there several of us authors there, one of whom was 17-year-old (at the time) Stephen Jacobson with his debut novel, One Last Season. Who knows who what will be the breakout item this spring? Come to Monmouth University and find out. I will be there with my fiction and non-fiction, and if the fates allow, two new novels in paperback. Till next time ~ Helen Interested producers and manufacturers are encouraged to request space online at www.visitmonmouth.com or contact the Division of Economic Development at 732-431-7470 for more information. After the event. the list of participating vendors will be published on the County website at www.visitmonmouth.com.
March 10, 2014
A little advance notice. On March 18th I'll be visiting t...
A little advance notice. On March 18th I'll be visiting the Literary Lagniappe. Oh yes, there'll be a special giveaway. Hope to see you there.
Till next time. ~Helen
Till next time. ~Helen
March 5, 2014
Look For Spring with the Marketing for Romance Writers Newsletter
This weekend those living within areas covered by daylight savings time lose an hour of sleep. Help recover your energy by reading a good book. Find some in the newest edition of the newsletter from the MFRW group at http://issuu.com/mfrw/docs/03-14 .
Till next time ~ Helen
Till next time ~ Helen
February 28, 2014
Creating a Media Kit
Repost of Creating a Media Kit, Press Release or Press Kit. Originally posted on
Romance Writer Sara Walter Ellwood:
Blog hosts, have you ever been frustrated with the way authors send their materials to you for a blog stop? Authors, have you ever wondered what to include for a promo blog stop?
Whatever you call it, a media kit (also known as press release and press kit), can be extremely helpful to bloggers receiving an author’s information for a blog stop.
View the complete post at Romance Writer Sara Walter Ellwood
Sara Walter Ellwood
Sara Walter Ellwood is an award winning author whose novel Gambling On A Secret was named by bestselling author Carolyn Brown in the Happy Ever After Blog on USA Today as…View Complete Profile
Romance Writer Sara Walter Ellwood:
Blog hosts, have you ever been frustrated with the way authors send their materials to you for a blog stop? Authors, have you ever wondered what to include for a promo blog stop?
Whatever you call it, a media kit (also known as press release and press kit), can be extremely helpful to bloggers receiving an author’s information for a blog stop.
View the complete post at Romance Writer Sara Walter Ellwood
Sara Walter EllwoodSara Walter Ellwood is an award winning author whose novel Gambling On A Secret was named by bestselling author Carolyn Brown in the Happy Ever After Blog on USA Today as…View Complete Profile
February 26, 2014
Repost - MFRW Monthly Quote
Repost of the MFRW Monthly Quote. Keep faith in yourself. ~Till next time. Helen
“But if they all tell you it is bad and you still think in your soul that what you wrote was good—if you find that you still believe what you wrote and feel it and it is true to you, then you must stand by it. And it might help to think of Beethoven who was stone deaf, and people said he made all those discords in his music because he could not hear correctly. But Beethoven knew that he intended those discords. He stood by them against the whole world.”
-Brenda Ueland
Emerald
Emerald is an erotic fiction author whose short stories have been featured in anthologies published by Cleis Press, Mischief, and Logical-Lust. She serves as an assistant newsletter editor and Facebook group moderator for Marketing for Romance Writers (MFRW), and she selects and posts the monthly inspirational quote on the MFRW Marketing Blog. Find out more about her at her website, The Green Light District.
“But if they all tell you it is bad and you still think in your soul that what you wrote was good—if you find that you still believe what you wrote and feel it and it is true to you, then you must stand by it. And it might help to think of Beethoven who was stone deaf, and people said he made all those discords in his music because he could not hear correctly. But Beethoven knew that he intended those discords. He stood by them against the whole world.”
-Brenda Ueland
Emerald
Emerald is an erotic fiction author whose short stories have been featured in anthologies published by Cleis Press, Mischief, and Logical-Lust. She serves as an assistant newsletter editor and Facebook group moderator for Marketing for Romance Writers (MFRW), and she selects and posts the monthly inspirational quote on the MFRW Marketing Blog. Find out more about her at her website, The Green Light District.
February 22, 2014
Dragon Destiny Wings Into Sneak Peek Sunday
Sneak Peak Sunday - Six paragraphs from Dragon Destiny. The newest release from Helen Henderson. Now available at Amazon.com, Smashwords.
Branin grimaced as the cold winds from the ice fields tugged at his wings, the frigid air piercing even thick dragon skin. Ranks of clouds on the horizon warned of the nearness of winter storms. Soon, he would need to return to the sanctuary of Cloud Eyrie. He could not survive outside sturdy walls, even if he remained in the dragon form of his twinned soul, Llewlyn. Still Branin soared higher, seeking solace from his dark mood. He dreaded the long months during which weather isolated Cloud Eyrie from the world. Snow-blocked passes and roof-high drifts prevented travel in human form by foot or horseback. Gale force winds prevented escape by wing. Winter trapped him inside walls of stone, denying him the option of escaping his loneliness in the skies above. All the other dragshi had met their mates. Their happiness, the depth of their attachments, especially that of his friends, Liam and Dealan, just emphasized Branin’s solitude.
His plans to winter over somewhere other than the high mountain complex of the dragshi vanished with the unexpected summons from Lady Eirwen. After his first rebellious thought to ignore the order from the ruler of the dragshi to return, he surrendered to the inevitable. Within the walls of Cloud Eyrie, even the temporary companionship of a woman disappeared.
Until his true mate appeared, he resigned himself to lesser relationships with the opposite sex. Over the years, many women had tried to seduce him in order to claim they’d bedded a dragon shifter or to garner the power a dragshi- wielded. At their first contact, he always made it clear no dragshi could have a permanent liaison with a true human, and that his favors could not be bought with money or wiles. Most women took his word and remained satisfied with the companionship. If they pursued their relationship to a physical level, it was done with no expectations beyond mutual pleasure. He pictured the red-haired beauty he just left. Broch went beyond the usual flattery and flirtations. Sharp words always seemed to lie just beneath her light tone and apparent sincerity. Despite her physical beauty, he sensed a ruthlessness within her. No matter how hard she tried to throw herself at him, the fire never kindled.
Branin screamed his frustration to the sky. Liam and Dealan had found each other within weeks of their first shift into dragon form. According to the ancient records in the back recesses of Cloud Eyrie, he and Llewlyn had already waited longer for their mates than any other dragshi had ever done. Llewlyn woke more frequently from the shadowed corner of Branin’s mind where he slept and the dragon’s discontent echoed Branin’s own. They were alone and, Branin feared, destined to remain that way forever. Again, he yelled to the winds. However, what echoed back from the ice-covered peaks sounded more like a moan than a dragon’s trumpeting call.
A hint of emotion whispered at the edge of his senses. He could tell the feeling did not come from his fellow dragshi, or, from one of the old dragons. That left only a true human.
The depth of the other’s longing called to him. His own hunger answered. Reaching out with a gentle mental summons, he asked,
Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt and want more. For more sneak peeks, continue to the next stop in the blog by going to http://sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.com/. ~Till next time. Helen
Branin grimaced as the cold winds from the ice fields tugged at his wings, the frigid air piercing even thick dragon skin. Ranks of clouds on the horizon warned of the nearness of winter storms. Soon, he would need to return to the sanctuary of Cloud Eyrie. He could not survive outside sturdy walls, even if he remained in the dragon form of his twinned soul, Llewlyn. Still Branin soared higher, seeking solace from his dark mood. He dreaded the long months during which weather isolated Cloud Eyrie from the world. Snow-blocked passes and roof-high drifts prevented travel in human form by foot or horseback. Gale force winds prevented escape by wing. Winter trapped him inside walls of stone, denying him the option of escaping his loneliness in the skies above. All the other dragshi had met their mates. Their happiness, the depth of their attachments, especially that of his friends, Liam and Dealan, just emphasized Branin’s solitude. His plans to winter over somewhere other than the high mountain complex of the dragshi vanished with the unexpected summons from Lady Eirwen. After his first rebellious thought to ignore the order from the ruler of the dragshi to return, he surrendered to the inevitable. Within the walls of Cloud Eyrie, even the temporary companionship of a woman disappeared.
Until his true mate appeared, he resigned himself to lesser relationships with the opposite sex. Over the years, many women had tried to seduce him in order to claim they’d bedded a dragon shifter or to garner the power a dragshi- wielded. At their first contact, he always made it clear no dragshi could have a permanent liaison with a true human, and that his favors could not be bought with money or wiles. Most women took his word and remained satisfied with the companionship. If they pursued their relationship to a physical level, it was done with no expectations beyond mutual pleasure. He pictured the red-haired beauty he just left. Broch went beyond the usual flattery and flirtations. Sharp words always seemed to lie just beneath her light tone and apparent sincerity. Despite her physical beauty, he sensed a ruthlessness within her. No matter how hard she tried to throw herself at him, the fire never kindled.
Branin screamed his frustration to the sky. Liam and Dealan had found each other within weeks of their first shift into dragon form. According to the ancient records in the back recesses of Cloud Eyrie, he and Llewlyn had already waited longer for their mates than any other dragshi had ever done. Llewlyn woke more frequently from the shadowed corner of Branin’s mind where he slept and the dragon’s discontent echoed Branin’s own. They were alone and, Branin feared, destined to remain that way forever. Again, he yelled to the winds. However, what echoed back from the ice-covered peaks sounded more like a moan than a dragon’s trumpeting call.
A hint of emotion whispered at the edge of his senses. He could tell the feeling did not come from his fellow dragshi, or, from one of the old dragons. That left only a true human.
The depth of the other’s longing called to him. His own hunger answered. Reaching out with a gentle mental summons, he asked,
Thanks for visiting. I hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt and want more. For more sneak peeks, continue to the next stop in the blog by going to http://sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.com/. ~Till next time. Helen
Repost - MFRWorg Montly Quote
One of the greatest joys of a hobby or profession is the people you meet. Sometimes they are individuals, other times it is a group. Some are supportive, others share their knowledge. Marketing for Romance Writers is one group that does both. Below is a repost of the monthly quote from the Marketing for Romance Writers Blog.
~Till next time. Helen
A monthly quote selected by Emerald. Originally posted at the Marketing for Romance Writers Blog.
Emerald is an erotic fiction author whose short stories have been featured in anthologies published by Cleis Press, Mischief, and Logical-Lust, as well as on numerous erotic websites. She serves as an assistant newsletter editor and Facebook group moderator for Marketing for Romance Writers (MFRW). Find out more about her at her website, The Green Light District.
~Till next time. Helen
“The role of art (poetry, novels, music, films) is, in part, to question the limits we place on ourselves; the role of art is to offer a glimpse of a different reality. It stands there beckoning to us—there is greater potential in you and in life than you can see, than you are trying to see.”
-Rod MacIver
A monthly quote selected by Emerald. Originally posted at the Marketing for Romance Writers Blog.
Emerald is an erotic fiction author whose short stories have been featured in anthologies published by Cleis Press, Mischief, and Logical-Lust, as well as on numerous erotic websites. She serves as an assistant newsletter editor and Facebook group moderator for Marketing for Romance Writers (MFRW). Find out more about her at her website, The Green Light District.
February 21, 2014
Will sword or talon be enough?
Since the cover was revealed in January, dragons have filled (or is it haunted) my days and nights. To help break up the relentless snowstorms of February, I decided to take a break from shoveling and past an excerpt.
~Till next time. Helen
Excerpt: A flashing evaluation later, Branin decided the best way to support the trader caravan. The trail was too narrow for him to maneuver along the road. However the steep drop-off provided the necessary space. And if some of the attackers happened to fall over the edge, so be it.Screaming his defiance, Branin folded his wings and plummeted earthward. His tail lashed out as he fell past the wagon. It ripped the sword from a burly man about to stab Yunka. Back the tail whipped and wrapped around the attacker’s waist. A tug sent the man, arms flailing, out over the chasm. With great sweeps of his wings, Branin soared upward toward the next group of fighters.
Loud cries of “For Clan Miller” reached his ears as the traders rallied, turning the tide of battle. Above the bedlam, Branin heard Broch screeching, urging her men to turn and fight. Then a male voice cut above her orders with a stentorian “retreat.” Those actively engaged in a fight broke off. In a panicked rout, they scrambled up the hillside, dragging wounded comrades with them. Although every instinct called for him to follow, Branin hovered above a wagon and initiated the change to human form. His great sword, Mt’wan Comraich, filled his hand before he even dropped onto the wagon’s roof. He searched the battlefield for Anastasia. A cold chill rippled through his nerves at the sight of Anastasia on her knees.
Coming March 2014 -- Dragon Destiny
